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. J. TURNER, JR., OF GHARLESTOAWN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO VARREN COVELL.

MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER SHOE-BINDINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 14,040, dated January 1, 1856.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOSHUA TURNER, Jr., of Charlestown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Hanufacture of Shoe-Binding from Leather; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, letters, figures, and references thereof.

Of such drawings, Figure 1 denotes a roll of my improved manufacture of shoe binding; Fig. 2 exhibits an edge view of the mode of joining two pieces or sections thereof.

In manufacturing shoe binding of leather, it has been customary to paint a skin in parallel strips with black ink or other colored fluid. These parallel strips, subsequently had to be cut into so as to separate the skin into strips, the external surface of one side of each of which presented the appearance exhibited in F ig. 3, in which a denotes the part unprinted, while b exhibits the portion printed. To print the stripes evenly on the surface of the whole skin is attended with much difficulty, and even with the best machinery known for such purpose they cannot be so printed, positively speaking, as to enable the skin to be cut to advantage into strips such as could be joined together in one long piece as where the stripes would be joined they would not come evenly together, or would show white or uncolored spaces or portions of the leather. The result which I have attained has been attended with a great expenditure of labor and thought and has required the invention and construction of costly machinery to bring it about, such machinery being such as could stripe the leather, when formed into a strip of many yards in length. Besides this, a. machine to split or shave off the surplus leather and reduce the strip to an even thickness becomes essential to the process of manufacture.

In producing the new kind of binding a skin of leather is first cut into strips of about one half an inch in width, or any other width that may be desirable. These strips are next cemented together at their ends (as seen in Fig. 2, wherein c Z are portions of two of such strips) and reduced to one long band, the hair or smooth side of each strip being uppermost. In this state, the strip should be printed or striped by means of my machinery, which will stripe or print one half of its smooth surface with a continuous stripe as seen in Fig. 1. After this has been effected the strip should be introduced into a leather splitting machine or one suitable to remove the thicker parts of the fleshy side of itand reduce it to one uniform thickness. In this state the strip is completed and may be rolled up, fit for the market. The article so made is entirely new in the market and is vastly superior to any other kind of leather made from skins printed before they are reduced to strips. While the strips made in this latter manner vary in thickness and lengths or are only produced in sections, my improved manufacture may not only be produced of any desirable length but will have one uniform thickness.

I have been informed that leather belts and bands have been made by joining several strips of leather together at their ends, and subsequently running them through machinery to beautify their edges. In making my improved manufacture of shoe binding I go entirely beyond this, employing in connection with the process of uniting the strips those of striping and reducing the band of strips as specified. Vere the several strips striped before they were cemented together it would be next to impossible to so connect them by overlapping and cement as to produce auniform continuous stripe, as the light edges of the strips where they might be joined together would show to the injury of the appearance of the piece of binding. By putting on the stripes after the strips are connected it can be laid uniformly and of a regular width over their surface.

To accomplish the production of my im* proved manufacture so as to render it fit to be used as shoe binding, the several processes of joining the strips, striping and splitting them as hereinbefore described are absolutely necessary.

In making machine belting, no striping of it is required, nor is there necessary, generally speaking, any reduction of it to an equal thickness. It may be said to be a manufacture very different in appearance and use from the shoe binding, or new article as made by me. It is this new or improved article of manufacture, novel in the art in which it is employed, that I have move the fleshy surplus portions and reinvented or produced and on which I seek a duce the Whole to one equal thickness.

patent and therefore I claim the improved In testimony whereof I have hereunto set process, above set forth, in the manufacture my signature this fifteenth day of August 5 ofIlDeatler bindings, viZl: h A. D. 1855.

ivi ing a sieet of eat er into strips o equal Widths, joining or connecting them JOSHUA TURNER JR at their ends so as to connect them into one Witnesses: long strip, Coloring the same When so R. I-I. EDDY, 10 formed and finally splitting it so as to re- F. P. HALE, Jr. 

